Salem City Police warn of local Medicare, handyman scams

SALEM — Salem City Police are advising residents of a few local scams that have targeted the area recently, and they're urging the public to be cautious with their personal information.

According to Chief of Police John Pelura III, the city has been made aware of two specific scams that have targeted residents in recent weeks.

One targets the elderly by phone, during which a caller tells the target that it’s time to update his or her Medicare information. The caller asks for the victim’s Medicare number and bank account number, Pelura said.

In at least one case, the phony call was made from a number with a 212 area code, the chief added.

A second scam reported in the city deals with a “handyman” showing up to a house, offering to do work. The scammer will typically ask for a down payment, do a little bit of work, ask for more money, and then take off without completing the job, Pelura said.

Pelura advised residents to avoid dealing with any door-to-door businesses, since they are usually high pressure sales people who take advantage of talking people into something without allowing any time to think it over.

“If you aren't actively looking for work to be done, you shouldn’t be hiring a complete stranger who shows up at your door,” Pelura said “It’s much safer to deal with local or well-known businesses.”